Automobile heater



Patented May 27, 1941 AUTOMOBILE HEATER- Thomas F. Spackman, Chicago, 111., assignor to Stewart-Warner Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Virgi Application September 22, 1938, Serial No. 231,231

3 Claims.

The invention relates generally to forced circuiation heaters for motor vehicles, and more particularly to improved controls for regulating the amount of air heated and circulated by said heater. f

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved heater wherein the briefly, an air and fuelmlxture supplied by the carburetor l 4 is drawn through the mixing chain her It into the combustion chamber I. where the mixture is ignited by the ignition coil and then burns continuously to form hot gases which in turn are drawn into the radiator 22 and discharged through a tube 24 into the intake speed of air circulated by the heater is controlled in relation to the heat units supplied to the air 'by the heater.

Another object of the invention is to provide a control for a heater which increases the air circulated through the heater gradually as the heater warms to its heat producing capacity.

. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved switch construction for controlling the operation of an air circulating system of a motor vehicle heater in relation to the heat developed by the heater.

Another object of the invention is to'limit the speed of air circulation over a heater until the heater has reached a predetermined tem-.

perature.

Another object of the invention is to provide an independent heat generating heater for motor vehicles whereinthe operation of the air circulating means continues after the heat generation is stopped until the radiator is cooled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described which is simple in construction and operation, thoroughly effective in its use, and inexpensive to manufacture and operate.

These being among the objects of the invention, other .and further objects will become apparent from the drawing herein, the description relating thereto, and the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the main units of the heater with the electrical controls therefor shown diagrammatically in idle position; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section of the heater as installed in an automotive vehicle illustrating another embodiment of the invention.

v Referring now to the drawing in further detail. a dash ll separating the engine compartment "of a motor vehicle from the passenger compartment is shown with the heater l2 mounted thereon, upon the inside of the passenger compartment.

Reference may be had to the co-pending application of Henry J. De N. -McCollum, Serial No. 61,213 filed January 28, 1936, for the structural characteristics of the heater 12 wherein,

manifold (not shown) of the conventional internal combustion engine, under the force of the vacuum created in said intake manifold.

A motor 26 and a fan 28 driven thereby are located inside a shell 30 which houses the radiator 22 of the heater l2, and air drawn into the shell through the openings 32 is propelled over the radiator 22 in heat exchange relationship therewithand returned to the interior of the passenger compartment through the bell-like deflector 34.

Referring to Fig. l, the generation of heat in heater is controlled by the button handle ll which is secured to a stem 38. The stem '38 controls a valve 19, as more particularly described in said co-pending application, which closes the vacuum passageway ll leading to the intake manifold when the button handle 3' is pushed to its innermost position as shown in Fig. l. A switch means 40 is provided to control the supply of current to the igniter 20 and fan motor 2 and in turn is controlled by a shoulder 42 upon the handle 36 as an incident to the movement of the handle It in closing and opening the valve 38. The switch means 40 comprises a mounting plate M, the lower end of which is apertured to receive a bushing 46 by which the mounting plate is rigidly secured to the radiator 22-.

The upper end of the switch mounting plate 44 is bent at a slight angle to the remaining portion of the plate as at 48 and has secured thereto a rigid contact arm 5!, a spring arm 52, and a bimetal thermostatic element 54. The arms 50, 52, and the thermostatic element 54 are insulated from each other and from the mounting plate 44 by blocks of insulation I The spring arm 52 carries two contacts I! andwhich are spaced from each other and located upon opposite sides of the thermostatic element 54. Beyond these contacts, the arm 52 termi- .tion towards the radiator 22 in one or two ways:

stops and .t

cool:

the plate-,and located to register with the contact 6| when the spring arm is moved towards the radiator. The contactv I is electrically insulated from the plate 44 by an insulating plate I2.

The contact arm 50 is in circuit with the igniter 20, and the spring mm 52 is connected in circuit with the battery il through the conventional ignition switch 65. T ejthermostatic" element 84 is connected-in series with the motor 26 and a 10 resistance 68, and the contact. Ill is connected r in direct circuit with the motor 26, shunting the resistance coil 68. I

Thespring arm 52 is sprunfl QPIQ towards the arm 50, and is moved in the'foppositefdirec either by the shoulder 42 pressing against the finger 82 when the valve 39 isclosed'; orbyfthe thermostatic element 54 engaging and forcing the A n tfliwhenwt e eme t flexes. under a.

,waf *spring'farin iimo'vesun'd'er "2 its ;own;;t ns iw;m ke 'contactwiththearm so" andj'en'ergize it; efignition coil 20 simultaneously with? the f start pr thlflow otcombiistible le? T ments induoedgby opening the valve when the handlejliisfmoved outwardlg. Then when combustion 'isf under way; the?thermostaticfelement it will be subjected to mounting temperatures. The thermostatic element will flex inwardly; en: gage thef'contact jto;start the motor" at a ow-sp ed con r e 1, he {resistance 6 ,?.ja 'I e ki neiconadiwm he, mm a remove i'rom joperation and {economize on elecy f the, *ri nire abnuauer m rise in the radiator '22, the"thrmostatic-elmenfwill con tinue to ileg i'artherand iarther until it mqvesthe spring farms: v rar enough to jmake mecca:

. element straightens *iipon cooling, the-resistance coil returned tooperation when' the contact between the contacts ql' and 10f are broken. Thereupon, the motor 'fl'willrun' at a'lslow speed; until the spring arm finger 62 engages the shoul derl Q1 and thethermostati'c;clementrelinquishes confijfl-cfl'with the contact ll. The motorthen e heater returned complete idle- @5574 r rec In thisijway the speed-oi aircirculatcd by the v heater 'is'gradu'ated to the heat available in theradiator" and 'whenfthe] heater shut oil; the

motor continues to run the radiator is again ae mnr i ns-aian he j m di t l fl 5 lliv elltloflis prdvid'd Whd'lh 8 spiralliwound' thermostat H is employed and works indcpt iil; ently oi the handle 3 f to regulateffthe speed=of oper ionfof the motor 2Q; Th'c spirally'wound thermostat is disposed adjacent t e radiator wi n t p thfof 5t ;,ia tsil in ir t e, r l: 3 t s' n i the Ian 2 'h fin rl n i'a ii the ithern ostati 14 is rigidly' supported on a pin' or lf'andthe outer end carries {contact II which in restrictediuntilztheifradiator in the heater has. I reached a predetermined temperature and the ingiraFresIstance; tor-supplying electrical mw; to said; ranimotor;.-meana-01 rable;by said man "and iianmotorr-circuitgiand'-means controlled it moves back and-forth along a resistance coil as the thermostat flexes under the influence and in direct relationship with the heat developed in the radiator 12.

The resistance coil Ill and the flex of the thermostat 14 are so related that increases in temperature will reduce the resistance in the eleci trical circuit "which controls the motor. Thus,

relationship therewith. The motor 28 is there'- by gradually brought intojull operation after s ithevalveiflfhas been opened and gradually ren when the valve is again and of let s heater is provided where- 'i'rculation is regulated and air circulation of the heater is advanced progressivelyi asTthe -heater, warms; up to ts. hen producing:capacityi- Consequently; although eve. a embodiments of the inventionmaveihcc sshililmflfl li i herein, it will be apparent to those skilled art" that various and further modifications and==chahgesi-.,mayg;he, made; w from? the spirit andzrsubstance-zoi i P 1 invention the scope of which'iscommensuratewlth the ap means do: :igniting; said mixture in rsaid combua tion 'chamber; ai-i radiator oonnected to .receive, 1;; products of: rcombustion rirom;-said; I combustion I r chamber, a fan for circulatingainover ;sa id r able means'slior controlling the; now; 01' the prod ucts .-:.oi combustionrthmuahawid= ra ia or.

switch for controlling the flow oi current toralld igniting-means, 5a :normaliy=;;open ,circuitincl uallysoperable meansto'closesaid .iBn 121 18:.1.1 switch ia lthermostatic .elementaior; opening; igniting means. switchkand :closing'rsaidrresistance said thermostaticelements-for shunting-said sistance whenssaid;.radiatorsapproaches substan tially normal'operating temperature; 1 v, 2. -In' 1 an 6. automobile heater the internal combustion typeythei combination of" a 00mm:

tion "chambenimeans for supplying a a; mixtureabkv fuel and airi to said 'combustionchamber, meanai for igniting said mixture in sa'idxcombustion chamber; a-' radiator connected-to-.receive ,prodnets of combustion from .aaid combustionacham V ber, aI-ianfor 'circulating' air over said radiator, a Lmotor fidrivi g said :tan; manually operable meansfor controlling the flow of ,theproducts oi combustion-L through-said radiator ar switch 10:; *controlling the flow of currentto said igniting;

means; a -n'onnallyg' opent'fcircuit :including a" -re'- sistancextor supplying electrical 2 current v to; said fanfrmotonzmeans; operable by said manuallyoperable*: means: to 1; close said (igniting; 1118811811 -switch'; and arthermostaticxelement for opening-,-

said igniting means switch and closing said n'orrz;

, mally iopen' circuit f wheh said' i radiator attainsh predetermined tn pe'rature; and' -shunting' -the V resistance mama circuit whensaid radiator attains norm'al operating te'mperaturei t oii d'c 'f a a. In an automobile new: or the internal combustion type. the combination of a valve for controlling the flow of hot gases of combustion through the heater, a manually operable mem-- ber, for actuating said valve, an igniter switch,

temperature responsive means in position to be heated when the heater is in operation, means controlled by said manually operable member to close said igniter switch when said manually slow speed switehin said circuit, a circuit including a high speed switch and shunting said resist- 'ance, and temperature responsive'meansfioperl able as the temperature of said heater increases sequentially to open said igniter switch. close operable member is moved to valveropening posiv10 said slow speed switch, and close said hikh speed switch,

moms sf. smcxmm.

'tion, a fan motor, a circuit includinl a resistance for supplying energizing current to said motor. a a 

